The invention is directed at devices for automatically dispensing drinks, sauces or other fully prepared products on demand. In particular, the invention is concerned with dispensing devices that use pulverised substances, such as soluble powders of coffee, tea, chocolate, and the like, and which are to be refilled regularly. Advantageously, the invention is concerned with drink-dispensing devices used for serving passengers in aircraft, trains or other means of transport that benefit from a catering service. The invention is also directed to devices for automatically dispensing drinks, which are installed in public places, and are equipped with a slot for accepting coins.
Drink-dispensing devices and the like have to be supplied with soluble pulverised substances regularly and in sufficient quantity to ensure that several consumers can be served in succession. In general, the pulverised powder is supplied by manually filling a reservoir in the dispenser with the powder packaged xe2x80x9cin bulkxe2x80x9d, for example, by means of a metering device or a bag. This method, however, is unsatisfactory, since it requires an investment of work time by the person carrying out the task. In addition, manually filling a reservoir may be messy. This is particularly problematic when the reservoir has to be filled under unstable or turbulent conditions, as may be the case in an aircraft. Manually filling a reservoir may also result in an appreciable loss of powder. Furthermore, the distribution of the powder in the metering system (for example, a metering screw) may be variable, depending on the circumstances and, thus, may lead to considerable variation in the concentrations of the dispensed products.
There are dispensers designed for receiving cartridges or containers which are filled with soluble pulverised substances that are opened before being introduced into the dispensing device. The document, GB 1,325,478, for example, teaches such a principle. In this particular case, the container comprises an adhesive tape which is delaminated before the container is placed in the device. Since the container is placed in the device after it is completely opened the above-mentioned disadvantages are not avoided.
There are also automatic dispensing devices, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,910, where the pulverised material is contained in a bag and the bag is opened by cutting the bottom of the bag by with a cutting system housed inside the device. Such a system, however, is relatively complicated and costly. Moreover, the system is too bulky to be used in a restricted space, such as on an aircraft.
Therefore, there is a real need to have a method for refilling dispensers with pulverised substances or the equivalent, that is simple and quick to use, does not result in any loss of material, and, if appropriate, can be put into practice in a restricted space.
The object of the present invention is to fulfill these expectations by providing a refill element that is designed to release its substance in the device, without having to open the refill element prior to placing it in the device and without using a cutting system incorporated in the dispensing device.
The invention relates to a refill element for an automatic fluid dispensing device and a device for automatically dispensing a fluid mixed with a substance.
The refill element for an automatic fluid dispensing device includes a receptacle having a periphery within which is contained a predetermined quantity of a substance to be filled into the device and a closing means or closing member that cooperates with the receptacle to form an enclosed chamber. The closing means includes a detachment means or detachment portion that engages a retaining part on the device to at least partially detach the closing means from the receptacle either when the refill element is introduced into the dispensing device or after the refill element has been introduced into the device.
The detachment means may be formed from a free portion of the closing means. Preferably, the free portion is an extension of the closing means that extends beyond the periphery of the receptacle. The detachment means engages the retaining part of the device when the refill element is introduced into the device. The retaining part is complementary to the detachment means, so as to keep the free portion in place when the refill element is introduced into the dispensing device. In one embodiment the detachment means is at least one projecting portion on the free portion and the retaining part is a complementary edge of the device, so that the at least one projecting portion forms an abutment that bears on the complementary edge of the dispensing device when the refill element is introduced into the device. In another embodiment the detachment means is at least one hole formed in the free portion and the retaining part is a complementary rod portion on the device, so that the at least one hole engages with the complementary rod portion when the refill element is introduced into the device.
The closing means may include an actual closing portion, that cooperates with the receptacle to form an enclosed chamber; and a free portion superposed with respect to the actual closing portion, wherein the free portion has a first end and a second end, the first end being located on the side of the receptacle that is introduced into the device and is connected to the closing means so as to form a folded-back edge, and the second end extends beyond the side of the receptacle that is opposite to the side introduced into the receptacle and is capable of being reached manually after the refill element has been introduced into the device.
The receptacle may be in the form of an elongated tray having a cross section of substantially trapezoidal shape, wherein the larger base of the trapezoid is extended in a substantially identical plane by lateral edges, to which the closing means are detachably connected. The lateral edges may extend over the entire periphery of the larger base of the trapezoid.
The closing means may be a flexible film joined by adhesion or sealing to the lateral edges of the receptacle so that the closing means can be detached from the receptacle by delaminating at least a portion of the film from the edges of the receptacle. The flexible film may be a moisture-resistant or tear-resistant material. The flexible film may be heat-sealed to the lateral edges of the receptacle.
The receptacle may be made from plastic by thermoforming, injection, extrusion blow-molding, or injection blow-molding plastic.
The substance may be a pulverised or powdered food substance useful for the preparation of drinks. The pulverised food substance may be one or more of roasted or ground coffee; soluble coffee; tea; chocolate-containing drinks; milk; and flavored drinks based on fruits, herbs, sugar, leguminous plants, and natural or artificial aromas.
The invention also relates to an apparatus for automatically dispensing a fluid mixed with a substance. The apparatus includes at least one substance-supply subassembly for supplying a substance to be mixed with a fluid. The substance-supply subassembly includes: a housing for receiving at least one above-described refill element by sliding the refill element into the housing when the refill element is oriented so that the closing means at least partially forms the bottom of the refill element; at least one receiving means for receiving the substance, the receiving means being located below the refill element so that the food substance falls into the receiving means when the closing means is detached from the receptacle; a means for metering the substance in the receiving means into a mixing bowl; and a retaining means that engages with the detachment means on the refill element when the refill element is slid into the housing to at least partially detach the closing means from the refill element.
The apparatus may further include a fluid supply to supply fluid to the mixing bowl and a dispensing outlet for dispensing the substance dispersed or dissolved in the fluid. The apparatus may further include a mashing chamber comprising an agitation means or agitator for the production of froth, located between the mixing bowl and the dispensing outlet.
The metering means may be a screw arranged horizontally and substantially oriented in the vertical plane in which the refill element extends longitudinally.
The housing may include a guide means in the form of two laterally spaced rails to ensure that the refill element slides in a substantially horizontal plane when inserted into the subassembly.
The retaining means may be at least one transverse edge of the housing that the detachment means comes into abutment with when the refill element is introduced into the housing. The retaining means may also be at least one rod portion onto which the detachment means engages when the refill element is being introduced into the housing.
The means for receiving the substance may be a funnel or hopper having widened edges.
The apparatus may include a plurality of supply subassemblies wherein the subassemblies are arranged parallel to each other and in communication with a common mixing bowl.
The a housing may be arranged to receive more than one refill element arranged in a vertical stack after they are introduced into the device.
The invention also relates to a drink-dispensing apparatus. The drink-dispensing apparatus includes at least one refill element for filling the dispensing device with a pulverised substance. The refill element preferably comprises a receptacle in the form of an elongated tray containing the pulverised substance within its periphery and a detachable film that cooperates with the refill element to form an enclosed chamber. The film has a foldable free portion that extends beyond the periphery of the receptacle. The free portion is advantageously provided with the detachment means. The dispensing device also comprises a housing for receiving the refill element and a retaining means which engages the detachment means when the refill element is introduced into the housing. Thus, the movement of introducing the refill element into the housing causes the film to be delaminated from the refill element so that the substance is released into the dispensing device by gravity.